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September 2010
08 September 2010 - Another Credit Card Scam
Posted by: Alan
New York area police have issued a warning about bogus airport cabbies after two Australian travellers fell victim to a credit card scam last week.
Asking VL Travel to book an airport transfer would help you to avoid these types of scam !
The women, in their early 20s but otherwise unidentified, were approached by a man posing as a cab driver after they arrived at New York’s Kennedy airport and agreed to pay a fare of $US70 to be driven to a hotel in New Jersey.
The driver asked for payment during the journey and the women handed over a pre-paid card containing several hundred dollars.
A few hours later, the Australians found that the card had been cleaned out by purchases made in the area near their hotel, according to local newspaper The Hudson Reporter.
Police said they believe that the fraudster had used a skimming device connected to a laptop computer when he pretended to process the fare payment. It was not a credit card processing device.
They warned visitors to New York to ride only in authorised taxis and limousines.
Authorised vehicles have official medallions on their bonnets.
07 September 2010 - 7 metre wide screen - that's big!
Posted by: Alan
P&O Cruises has announced that its latest superliner, Pacific Pearl, will feature a giant entertainment screen on its pool deck, giving passengers a great new way to enjoy their cruise holiday.
Stretching seven metres wide and four metres high, the state-of-the-art LED "Big Screen" is a first for the cruise line and headlines a series of exciting drawcards planned for Pacific Pearl, which will be launched in December 2010.
Pacific Pearl’s Big Screen will create the opportunity for poolside fun day and night, showcasing everything from sports events, latest release movies and scenic destination images to P&O Cruises’ own daily TV show.
In another first for the cruise line, Pacific Pearl will give her passengers a new way to soak up the sun and relax while on holiday with a Swim Up Bar in one of her two pools.
Pacific Pearl is expected to quickly develop a strong following among passengers.
To find out more about cruising with P&O, why not attend our Cruise evening?
(Wednesday, 15th September 2010). Contact us for more info.
06 September 2010 - Vintage Beer . . . ?
Posted by: alan
Divers investigating a 200-yearold shipwreck in the Baltic Sea have discovered what they say is the world’s oldest drinkable beer.
They were actually trying to salvage champagne from the wreck, but also discovered a handful of beer bottles - which the divers immediately sampled.
“Researchers who tried drops of the dark, foamy liquid liked the taste of it,” said a spokesman for the team, Bjorn Haggblom.
The cargo was aboard a shipwreck south of the autonomous Aland Islands in the Baltic Sea.
The ship was believed to be heading from Copenhagen, Denmark, to St Petersburg, Russia. It could have possibly been sent by France's King Louis XVI to the Russian Imperial Court.
02 September 2010 - The infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano
Posted by: Alan
How about this for creative travel industry thinking?
Scandinavian specialist Bentours has today launched a new tour of Iceland which includes the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano that brought global aviation to a halt earlier this year.
The three day Iceland Volcano Tour includes a guided "super jeep" tour taking in "volcanic vistas and unabridged glacial rivers" while heading towards the volcano and its now ashcovered landscapes.
"Clients will learn about what the unbridled power of an erupting volcano can do to its surroundings.[getting] as close to the latest volcanic action as possible while keeping a safe distance," Bentours promises.
02 September 2010 - Singapore Airport Slide . . .
Posted by: Alan
It’s all downhill for some travellers passing through Singapore’s Changi airport.
The airport has opened a four-storey slide, adding to what it is already arguably the biggest range of airport entertainment in the world.
The new attraction, in Terminal 3, takes sliders from a height of 12 metres to floor level at a speed of 6 metres a second, via a mixture of loops and bends.
It’s open daily from noon till 10.30pm and is free for two slides for every $S30 spent at airport stores.
01 September 2010 - Canine Lifeguards???
Posted by: Alan
Specially trained life-dogs are being deployed on beaches throughout Italy (where else?) to aid human lifeguards rescue swimmers (and sinkers) in need.
The lifedogs are sent into the water armed with either a harness, a buoy or a raft which the rescuee can cling to to be towed in to shore.
The bonus of the pups is that they find it easier to leap from helicopters and boats than their human counterparts, making them perfect for emergency situations.
Currently there are 300 trained dogs on the go (it takes three years to train a dog), with labradors, golden retrievers and newfoundlands making up the bulk of the numbers.
